ANALYSIS: Mathieu van der Poel targets special list featuring Eddy Merckx at E3 Saxo Bank Classic
Cycling
Mathieu van der Poel's incredible win at the 2025 Milano-Sanremo last weekend was yet another reminder of the fact he has abilities not even Tadej Pogacar can replicate.
By taming the Slovenian beast and then launching his own sprint early, the Dutchman claimed his second La Primavera victory in three years and further cemented his place among the greats of cycling's Monument races. But with the cobbled classics now on the horizon, attention is turning to whether Van der Poel can maintain his red hot form in the E3 Saxo Bank Classic and Gent Wevelgem.
Historically, riders who win Milano-Sanremo rarely go on to feature prominently on the podium of either E3 or Gent-Wevelgem in the same season. The list of those who have managed the feat is surprisingly short, though it includes some of the sport’s most iconic names.
Van der Poel himself was the most recent to do it, finishing second at E3 in 2023 just days after his storming victory in Sanremo. Before that, one must look back to 2007, when Oscar Freire followed his Milano-Sanremo win with third place at Gent-Wevelgem.
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Mario Cipollini did it in style in 2002, backing up his Sanremo triumph with victory in Wevelgem. Other examples include Andrei Tchmil in 1999 (second at E3), Alain De Wolf in 1981 (third at both E3 and Gent-Wevelgem), Roger De Vlaeminck in 1979 (second at Gent-Wevelgem), and, of course, the legendary Eddy Merckx in 1972, who managed second at E3 and third at Gent-Wevelgem after taking victory in Sanremo.
These names form a rare club, one that Van der Poel already belongs to and may look to join again. With his explosive climbing, powerful sprint, and an uncanny ability on the cobbles, he’s uniquely positioned to buck the trend of Sanremo winners fading before the cobbled heart of the spring.
What do you think? Will Van der Poel be able to continue his form into the cobbled classics? Or will Tadej Pogacar, Wout van Aert, or someone else have an answer?
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- Also, plenty of these dubious characters are actually still very much involved in current teams but nobody seems to care much that they accompany some of the most popular riders.Mistermaumau27-03-2025
- I understand but then again, it’s free and apart from a tsunami of ads, doesn’t hold you hostage to subscribe or share data, not many others offer a quick broad overview like that. If you have time to read everything in-depth you can do the rounds yourself or subscribe to quality material, nothing stops you paying to filter undesired content.Mistermaumau27-03-2025
- It's unlikely he can win, but he'll definitely have fun! Tadej loves and enjoys cycling: his passion, not just his job. Most important thing: he's NOT AFRAID OF LOSING. Other top riders only race if they can win (terror of losing, fragile egos). I adore you Tadej. Stay safe.
maria2024202427-03-2025 - Agreed but kind of off this comes from DGMistermaumau27-03-2025
- He should be pretty capable on technical terrain. His cyclocross bike handling skills are elite, and that is not easy. I do agree he needs some time back on his mtb, as it is a bit different, but if he focuses well on that xco title goal, he can reach it no doubt.JoshuaCharter27-03-2025
- I saw the ending, the riders were all over the place trying to move up. It was only a matter of time till somebody crashed.abstractengineer27-03-2025
- My issue is that this site proactively solicits the commentary of one disgraced doper after another. It's like they can't find anyone who didn't leave the sport under a cloud of shame. I think I'm done with this site.critguy26-03-2025
- The finale of this race was an absolute mess, and the last crash that took out 1/2 of the field was caused when a double width road very suddenly funneled into a single lane, and riders had nowhere to go. I find it amazing how some of these courses get approved in the first place. So much for the UCI's campaign for improved rider safety, because if they actually cared, the organizers wouldn't have been allowed to run the finale on this parcours.
santiagobenites26-03-2025 - I hope Wout can come back. He has had 3 terrible crashes--not on par with Froome or Bernal, but at his level just a fraction of a percent is all that separates the grand champions of this new generation. Even if he is back all the way physically, those abrupt confrontations with pavement and mortality take a psychic toll, especially for a father of young kids.
Barney26-03-2025 - Everyone was so keen on free speech for a while, what happened ;-) But seriously, the problem is not so much that he gave his view as that someone follows it and spreads it, not totally unlike the schoolkids running US war games at present ;-)Mistermaumau26-03-2025